Sony has just announced the follow-up to its flagship device, the... why does it feel like I've written this story before? Oh, because I have. So a month after making its Xperia Z4 official in Japan, Sony is taking that device and releasing it with a more appropriate name for the global market: Xperia Z3+. Let's face it, the changes compared to the Z3 are minimal enough not to warrant a full number increase, so the switch back to the Z3+ is more honest on the company's behalf.

On the outside, the Z3+ looks almost exactly like the Z3, give or take a few slots and speaker grill placements. The most significant improvement is in the MicroUSB port, which is capless, despite the device being waterproof. Finally Sony figured out how to keep its phones' IP ratings without requiring you to fiddle with a port cap every time you want to charge them.

At 6.9mm, the Z3+ is also slimmer than the Z3, but with a smaller 2930mAh battery (it was 3100mAh on the Z3). It does, however, have Qualcomm's QuickCharge 2.0 for faster charging. The Z3+ keeps most of its predecessor's inside specs as well: a 5.2" 1080p display, 3GB of RAM, 20.7MP camera (with a new ISO12800 sensitivity), and plenty of connectivity options. The processor has switched from the Snapdragon 801 to the 810, the front camera has gone from a meagre 2.2MP sensor to a 5MP shooter with wide-angle and digital stabilization, and the default storage option is 32GB instead of 16GB. In addition, two variants of the Z3+ will be available: a single SIM one that supports LTE Cat 6 a dual SIM one with LTE Cat 4.

Like its Japanese counterpart, the Xperia Z3+ will run Lollipop 5.0 out of the box and will be available this summer in white, black, copper, and aqua green with no word on pricing, supported operators, or exact country release dates.

Comments

Great, this probably means that when Z3+ is out - the original Z3 will get cheaper, at least to some extent. Fine by me, I'd say.

Ddot

I got my z2 when the z3 was released last year and still completely happy. Might consider a z3 if I see a bargain any where

Mike Gonzalez

meh... sony hasent impressed me since the Z1 and that's almost 2 years ago
hopefully they wake up by IFA and release a proper phone

anees

Really curious in what would you like in a proper phone. Sony has full waterproof. One of the largest battery. Great front facing stereo speakers. Even though 810 has issues but still it's the top one currently. Has a really good display. Supports micro sd. Minimal skin on top of stock android. And a few other features I haven't mentioned. What is missing exactly? I'm interested in to know what makes it a "proper" smartphone.

Sam Koda

A 'proper' phone doesn't include all those features ;).

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

The design. Pretty much all the complaints towards the mobile division is the fact that they haven't really changed up the design since the original Xperia Z. I can't say I blame them.

On one hand, Nowadays OEMs rely too much on the same design formula and play it safe, and Sony is no different in that regard
But on the other hand, it would kinda feel like a change for the sake of change, just so people would shut up about stagnation

So yeah...

Mike Gonzalez

well, when you compare this phone to the Galaxy S6 or G4, it just loses in many departments, and im not defending Samsung, but Sony released this phone 3 months after Samsung's and still cant catch up
- no OIS camera and no killer feature (G4 has that sensor for color reproduction and laser-focus) and bad processing algorithms
- FHD display
- same tired design for 5 generations already and still huge bezels
- no fingerprint scanner
- no wireless charging
- same UI since Xperia Arc
- smaller battery than previous generations
- SoC with heat and underperforming issues

i just wish Sony would spend more time innovating for their smartphone line-up, cuz we all know they can do it, but just feel lazy about it

SammyBoy

- Sony has improved their processing algorithms in the lollipop upgrade
- Why is there a need for 4k display? To eat up battery
- So Samsung changing the back from plastic to glass is revolutionary? lol!
- Same UI since Xperia Arc? LOLOL!!! Show's your ignorance. Applying the same logic, TW had not changed since S3.
- Smaller battery do not equate to shorter battery life

and still the battery is bigger than s6 and m9.
G4 proved that 2k screen had an impact on display. seriously the display on the Xperia Z2 and onwards are really good. same ui lol so does that mean that S3 has the same ui as S6??
and the camera its still better than the m9 by miles.
and did you know that this z3+ is device just to be in the competiton, because sony have said they are making a new device, heavily influenced on user experience

Svnjay

The design is one of the best out there and the bezels are smaller than the S6 and almost the same size as the G4.

The UI is vastly different from the Xperia Arc

The battery life is still better than the S6, G4, M9, Nexus 6 or whatever you use.

Ørjan Laxaa

OIS, and I would have jumped. Now I'd just wait for IFA and the inevitable Z5.

fredy

You mean Z3++.
:-)

Ørjan Laxaa

Z3+ Turbo Dual Sim LTE!

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

International edition

David Onter

Or a Z5--.
(-:

SimonPieman

By your mentality, there will never be a phone, as there will always be another 6 months way. Why do you need to worry about what other people have? Just buy the phone you want, and replace it when you want.

Ørjan Laxaa

There just needs to be a "right" phone. Relase an Xperia Z5 Compact with OIS and I'll bite.

Hossam

I do not understand the hate for sony , i understand that they hadn't update their design for sometime , But let's be honest They make the most complete phones with water resistant , SD car slot , great camera , gorgeous display and loud front facing stereo speakers !

When i bought my nexus 5 there was the z1 and it sucked . But now sony phones are getting better and will definitely consider them before buying a new phone .

Deckard_Cain

I have the Z2 and I am still in love with it. It feels really great in the hand without cases, with a great premium feel, the stereo sound is awesome, the display is IPS and good for day use, it's waterproof, it has an amazing battery life.
And their Lollipop was really good.

The Z3 is even better because it has a gorgeous design. I think their design is great. They should maybe spice things up because otherwise people will start to feel that all Sony phones are the same, but they're pretty great already.

joseph carmine nero

Same here.happy Z2 owner.coming from sammy i find Z2 a complete package

Deckard_Cain

Tell me about it. Samsung has top notch hardware, but the software put me off and I can't force myself to buy another one of their phones because of it.

Ørjan Laxaa

I agree with you on the design. Sony has really refined the look of this device.

However, the camera is lackluster compared to the competition. Shoddy processing and a useless ISO 12.800 mode because with such a tine sensor everything turns into mush anyway.

Sony needs a good flagship this year. A real successor to the Z2, and not some rebranded incremental update(Like the Z3 last year) that's going to further cement their irrelevance. And please Sony, fix your UI. It still looks like crap after all these years.

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Totally disagree with you on the camera and the UI. The camera takes awesome shots in 20.7MP mode (albeit 4:3) and the UI is bangin'. Very close to stock Android. Z2 user here.

joseph carmine nero

Best UI.most simple and lightweight

joseph carmine nero

The cam is bashed by some reviews but i compared My Z2 with my S5 back then and S5 failed.you should try manual yourself

Ørjan Laxaa

The S5 is pretty bad, though. Samsung really upped their game with the S6.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

What's there to fix with their UI? It's almost AOSP if you remove a few elements like the changed icons in the Settings app
Their own Android apps seem to follow the Material guidelines well, too, while retaining their own style

The Launcher doesn't seem to be that far from Google Now Launcher, and their app drawer is certainly better, at least in my opinion

Maybe it's because you want a more drastic change like Sense or Touchwiz ?

Ørjan Laxaa

It's inconsistent in it's iconography and downright ugly in some places. However, it's not as offensive as LG's effort and it still looks better than TouchWiz. I'd rate Sense above it though.

Yes. Some points look fine, like the lockscreen and the notification shade, but the task switcher and dialer looks hideous. However, these screenshots do not show Sony's own icons, which, while better than they were, are not that great.

Sunny

A very simple and quick way to solve your problem.

Install Nova launcher.
Install (Stock'ish Icon Pack) 'Moonshine'.

Done.
Your problem is no more!

Deckard_Cain

Did you even use a Z2 or Z3 to complain about the camera?
It takes really good photos if you use the Manual mode instead of Superior Auto.

The only problem with the camera is the Superior Auto mode really. If Sony scrapped that people wouldn't complain about the Z2/Z3 camera.

At a pixel level, it's a mess. The hardware's there and it's certainly impressive to pack in such a large sensor in such a slim body. Sony just needs to step up their game and learn a thing or two from their camera division. I have a RX100. It's a fantastic camera.

jlmcr87x

Yes I hate sony, my last phones were xperia arc and xperia S, no more, thanks

KlausWillSeeYouNow

And my great-grandfather may have driven a Model T, so I don't look at current Fords, either. Gimme a fing break.

Honestly, who judges Sony's current lineup based on the Xperia Arc?

jlmcr87x

The same shit...

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Wow. OK, I can see logic isn't your strong suit. Rock on, dude.

jlmcr87x

Yeah, your logic is better..........bad and slow updates, bugs, and only z phones get updates........hurry up take your z3+

Deckard_Cain

They released update to more than the Z series.
The updates were slow but they were not bad. Quite the contrary actually.

jlmcr87x

Not bad? where is the camera2api in the lollipop update? the phone with the better camera without camera2api functions? yeah, very good updates....

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

Camera 2 API? Ask Google, apparently no one has access to it yet

jlmcr87x

What? I have a moto e with camera2api.

Deckard_Cain

Keep moving those goal posts. No other flagship has camera2api in Lollipop. N-O-N-E.
I get it, you had a bad experience with Sony Xperia devices from 4 or 5 years ago. Brands and companies evolve in that time and Sony did. Peace out.

Renaldi I.

Not only did they release updates to most of the Z series, they also have been working with the aftermarket community to make it even easier to ROM for them. Seriously, fully official and santioned AOSP for their devices. Name one other OEM that has gone that far with their relations with the Android community, or open source.

joseph carmine nero

A retard apparently

jlmcr87x

the only retard here is you.

Hossam

You had sony ericsson phones not Sony . Although i kinda agree with you , i had the arc a and it was not that great . Even sony produced shitty devices until last year, they stepped up and came with the z2

joseph carmine nero

Well said.Z2 user here and could not be happier.depending on 810 heat issue after i try Z3+ in store i may buy it

Good_Ole_Pinocchio

It's not really "hate" for Sony... It's more why t f aren't you doing more! . . .You're sony for god's sake. Took them forever to try to break into the US market, and they still haven't really done that.... Then there's the release of "updated" phones every 6 months... then there's stuff like the "z3- again"

SimonPieman

The carriers control what phones you are allowed to use on their networks. They can be "bought" with money. So when companies like Samsung and Apple have huge piles of money, they can control what phones you can use...

Doesn't sound very fair does it? It's not..... Sucks to live in America.

Renaldi I.

You seem to take delight in taking equal strikes for Android and against America, especially out of context. It's getting stale.

Deckard_Cain

They already stopped releasing updated phones every 6 months. Trying to break into the US market is more a matter of having carrier support and those prefer to push only iPhone or Samsung Galaxy devices. That's why HTC and LG are also having troubles to maintain marketshare.

And they aren't doing more because money. Sony had years with bad results and can't invest as Samsung and Apple even if they wanted to.

SimonPieman

Sony are doing everything right. You can made the Z3/Z3 Tablet/Z3+ Z4 all very closed to stock. Most of the bloat uninstalls, you can run Google Launcher and Keyboard and you have something very close to a nexus, but with premium hardware.

The question now is how will they name the successor to this phone?
They'd have to jump from Z3+ to Z5 for international customers which would be confusing to many.
Why would they shoot themselves in the foot like that?

Unless they want to break with the Z Devices and bring something completely new to the table this move was beyond stupid.

Ørjan Laxaa

They screwed the selves the minute they announced the Z3. They should have called that one Z2+ or Z2S or something.

Should work well under water, seeing how the S810 overheats..... Good one Sony.

SimonPieman

It's all about the design of the phone, not the chipset. Sony know how to design stuff.

Lord_Santa

Z3+ is more appropriate than Z4. Z4 Suggests that the upgrade was more than iterative.

TechGuy22

And people want Sony to make a nexus phone lol

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

On a serious note - yes, an Xperia Nexus is NEEDED to happen, show everybody how a Nexus should be made

Madis Otenurm

Though then it would lack Sony's battery-keeping features if it ran stock Android...

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

That's unless Google tweaks the battery life in Android M (as rumoured to happen, anyway), otherwise if Sony doesn't tweak the kernel too much compared to what we see on AOSP - I'd expect the battery life to be at least the same, if not better, than their own Z line

Matthias

"... without requiring you to fiddle with a port cap every time you want to charge them."

So you can charge without opening the port cap. Actually, I can't even remember the last time I opened it on my Z3 Compact...

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

That's not always a convenient option. I can't put the device in dock when I'm using it in bed. I can't put it into dock when I'm carrying it around or actively typing in university and I'd have to be near a power outlet. So yeah, I have to open the caps daily

someone755

Get one of those Magnector X thingies. They cost ~20€. Or, if you're cheap like most people, USB-to-Sony magnet connector cables can be had for less than 5€.

Although it's true, you can't really use the phone actively while charging with this, or the cable will fall off.

Anyway, I simply charge it over night on my bedside table, which is perfectly sufficent for me.

jlmcr87x

Xperia z3+ with snapdragon 810 a new way to boil water. Put your z3+ inside a saucepan with water and run some benchmarks........

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

See? Sony just found a new way to market their own device - no need to spend gas anymore to boil water to cook some macaroni, just throw in your phone and there you go

BoFiS

What became of the awesome magnetic connector on the left side? I appreciated that for use with magnetic cables in the car and also a dock on my bedside table...also I still feel Sony is foolish for not selling the Z3 Compact along side both models, including this one, so that in stores and at carriers, people are given the option of an actually-awesome, compact device.

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Different revision on the processor. Not the same 810 as the M9.

joseph carmine nero

On Z4 tablet gsmarena reported no heat.but that might be due size

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

and the current lineup is waterproof as well

Just as planned, eh, Sony?

Madis Otenurm

If there is one thing Sony should change in terms of design, that would be the glass back.
Sure it looks modern and all, but not durable or pretty in use (fingerprints). I don't like cases :)

IDLukakas

810 with Full HD instead 4K. Nice job Sony!

David Onter

*2k

drcaveman

Nice thing about this phone, is if the 810 starts getting too hot you can just dip the phone into a cup of ice water ;)

Looks pretty good. Only thing keeping me from buying one atm is the lack of an IR sensor/emitter. Really would hate losing that going from my Samsung and HTC that both feature it. Hopefully it's on the Z4.

The Dark Days Incarnate

Sony should have made a nexus by now

Svnjay

He could be right. There are different revisions of Snapdragon CPUs. We'll have to wait for it for it be released before we know for sure.

bullonie

I don't understand this company...

AuroraFlux

ITT: People making shitty and stupid SD810 overheating jokes. You've been warned.

Philip Kaskela

I just ordered the s6 edge too. Sigh. Maybe the z4.

Narciso Neto

meh

foueddyf

Why can't they use the same color for the front and back?
I like the green and copper color but not with a black front...
Guess I'll have to go with white.

Ørjan Laxaa

I hope the next model uses the IMX230 sensor that they announced late last year. It was supposed to start shipping in april, but so far there has been no hardware announcements connected to it. Spec wise, it's probably the best one (not yet) out there.

Bruno

I was going to order a Z3 in a month or two... I'll get a Z3+ instead, any purchase are good for Sony, Leader in TV, Leader in Game Console, Should be leader in phones too ! I already had a Sony, and from then, i've had a LG_I_Don't_know_what, HTC One S, Nexus, Moto G But nothing beats a Sony Xperia ZL. Time for a step up to High quality with a Z3.